flashHollowbean day 15 - Dark duelLysander was paralyzed with terror and unable to move. This was the first time in his life that he had encountered not just a doppelgänger but also an evil alter ego of himself. However, this clone jumped in his direction because it was not going to wait for him to start battling. Before the clone could harm him, Lysander was able to seize his hand. The clone attempted to use his other arm, but Lysander stopped that as well. Despite his limited magic skills, he managed to push the clone away by using one of his star mutations to call an additional pair of arms. However, the clone responded with its own summoning of an additional pair of arms. The shadow clone seems to be well aware of Lysander's moves and vulnerabilities. When he realized this, he felt helpless since he knew that nothing he did would truly make a difference and that this battle would require far more than he had ever imagined. Now lost in thought, Lysander was trying desperately to figure out how to escape this predicament, but by remaining motionless for so long, he left himself open to attack, which the clone took advantage of. It lunged at him with a kick so powerful that it sent him hurtling into the trees. Rising as fast as he can, Lysander ducks behind a big bush that stands next to the tree he landed on. He rummaged through his bag in a haste, hoping to find something that would help him in the fight. He discovered a single star fruit, which he saved in case he ever needed to activate his last star mutation, which gives him wings. Although Lysander is not a big fan of heights and his last attempt at flying did not go well, he is currently at a loss for options and being able to fly could prove to be very helpful in this seemingly hopeless battle. Reluctantly, Lysander eats the star fruit and grows new wings to replace his other pair of arms. The clone was already nearby and running toward him when Lysander emerged from the bush, ready to return to the fight. Using what little elemental knowledge he possessed, Lysander leaped high into the air and took flight. Then, with all of his speed, he glided back to the ground and swung around to face his clone, hoping to use the blunt force of gravity to defeat it. To his horror, though, it was insufficient because he was too light, and the impact only stunned the clone for a short while before it was able to stabilize itself and grow its own pair of wings. Lysander started to back away, gathering any sharp branches he could find and hurling them at the clone, but the clone just continued to move toward him and showed no signs of stopping. Lysander took off again, this time to escape his opponent. Sadly, he found that his opponent was much more skilled at flying than he was, which made him even more anxious than before. He made the decision to turn around and face his opponent in the air because he realized he couldn't just keep running from this fight forever, but as he was ready to do so, a random object flew through the air and struck one of his wings, severely injuring it. At this point, Lysander was now falling through the air freely and finally landed in a lake below. He kept trying to swim away until he discovered a nearby cave where he eventually managed to catch his breath by hiding behind a sizable pile of rocks. With little hope of surviving this battle, Lysander leaned against the wall and carefully dropped to the ground. That's when he saw a small creature sliding out of his bag, and it turned out to be an elemental Swol he had assisted in training the day before, and it was eager to assist him. A creature enters the cave, and both Lysander and the elemental swoll peered over the rocks to identify it. It was the eather clone of Lysander, and it was enraged because it was sick of having to play cat and mouse all this time. The clone transformed into a larger, more formidable titan Orm dragon form through shapeshifting. Naturally, Lysander was terrified, but he made the decision not to give up and he and the swoll jumped into action. Though Lysander made every effort to contain the beast by manipulating the water, the beast possessed too much strength and was on the verge of escaping. But that's when the swoll suddenly unleashes all of its power, causing the entire rock roof to crumble and rain down on the eather monster until the pressure was so great that it broke apart. At last, the fight was over. With the threat of the eather monster gone, Lysander was able to safely rejoin the other members of the party, which gave him a great sense of relief. Total word count: 834Lullaby *‘Child, you are my little ray of light Like a fire that glows in the darkest night. If you find me I will hold you tight Never letting go I promise I’ll be there for you.’* Jac had awoken to the voice of her mother as she whispered into the young woman’s ear. She spoke such clarity, echoes like droplets of water, air like the soft wind against her skin. This had to have been real, no way it couldn't be.. But much to Jac's despair, reality had come for her as she gradually opened her eyes. She saw the full moon still beamed through the curtains as she found herself within the shelter of Richard’s hand. The Wile giant was sound asleep, yet he had subconsciously brought her up to his chest. On an ordinary night, his would have provided maximum comfort for the smaller human, but this time she was unable to feel the joy that this level of affection would normally bring. Jac couldn’t shake off the feeling that began to well up from her chest. It had been months since she had relapses of the visions of her mother, so for such a dream to just show up unexpectedly.. and with that particular song no less? This had put a damper in her spirits and unearthed unspeakable anxiety that was shaking her to the very pit of her core. She had fought hard to weather her fluctuating emotions, but in the end, she was unable to hold back hot, stinging tears. Richard steadily opened his eyelids by the sound of Jac’s various gasps and wheezes. He looked down at the small woman who was curled up in the dip of his right palm, his eyes gradually shedding off some of their drowsiness as he began to realize that she was actually crying. The Wile giant’s keen ears was able to pick up on her sobs despite the tiny human’s best efforts to try and hide them. “What’s wrong?” He spoke softly, his tired voice still lingering. Jac was too wrapped up in her own thoughts to pay mind to what was said, although she did quiet down somewhat. Perhaps she just chose to not answer him. Richard was not surprised to see her like this, but he could never get used to it. This exact scenario would play out every once in a while for about as long as he could remember; the trigger was apparently always the same, but he was never given the details as to exactly why. After seeing what this has been doing to Jac, and always getting the same dodging reaction whenever he had brought it up, over time he felt that it was better not to question it. Or perhaps he had become too afraid to ask. Instead, Richard brought his other hand behind the one that held Jac. He then slowly but surely placed her all the way against his chest, his hands completely covering her up as she was nestled onto the fabric of his shirt. He then began to start humming a sweet melody of his own. The tune was pleasant, as gentle as the giant could muster with his voice. With variables ranging from a cheerful, upbeat hum, to a quiet and more graceful sound. After a few short minutes, Jac’s sorrow had begun to dissipate, as she listened intently to the giant’s voice as her mind spawned new visuals that tapped into her imagination. It wasn’t long before she finally spoke. “What are these songs? They all sound so… refreshing.” “They’re Wile giant hymns,” Richard whispered, “passed down from generations. They have different meanings but nowadays they’re more commonly used for lullabies.” “Do you know the lyrics?” Jac said, as she quietly wiped the remaining liquid off of her eyes and nose. “I know of some. Many of them are probably difficult to comprehend for you, but I’ll try to think of one that I can sing.” Richard paused for a moment, before he found one that he thought would be easy enough to share with the human. He cleared his throat, and began in a near whisper. “Why are you crying dear child The heavens bring the stars and the moon The wolf in the forest, the birds in the trees, the night flies dance in the twilight there is much to see” “What do these words mean?” “I did say that they were cryptic,” Richard chuckled, “but yeah… I think it’s meant to be interpreted in different ways. But I personally think it means that even if there is stuff in the world that makes you feel sad, there’s still enough beauty in this planet to not want to… give up.” There was a hint of concern in Jac’s face, which the Wile giant picked up on right away. “I’m sorry.. It’s just… this was one of the many things I’ve used as a coping mechanism growing up.” “It’s okay, I understand.” Jac looked down on the indents of the giant’s hand momentarily. Her mind was drifting once more, but this time with a new resolve. 'Perhaps that’s what mother was trying to tell me all along.’ The beginning of new tears started to form on the base of her eyes. Richard realized what was happening and worried that it could have been his own fault, but instead of dwelling on it he chose to switch focus onto a more pleasant tune. “Ode to the bush warbler building his nest sweet songs that he sings, the cherry he brings on route to gather many food in his crop bring them home to seven mouths without stop.” That got a laugh out of the smaller woman, which brought a sense of relief to the giant. “Is that a real Wile giant song?” “No, you got me. I just made it up on the fly.” “That wasn’t too bad though for something you thought up in a few seconds. You should record that!” “Nah, I had already forgotten most of it.” The two friends laughed it out, before Richard continued to come up with different songs to hum. The new tunes ranged from an array of folk songs to popular music slowed to an almost music box pace. Jac chose to quietly listen through the rest of this special little concert that her friend made just for her, but it wasn’t long before she fell back into the world of dreams once more. This time the clouds that formed before were long gone, bringing with it clearer skies and sweeter dreams. Shortly after Richard followed suit while in the middle of a tune, he had apparently sung himself to sleep.Melody The morning announced it’s arrival with a brilliant orange that blanketed the entire eastern sky. Jac was early to rise, which was typically unusual when it came to weekends. But what prompted the young woman to remove the crust particles from her eyes was a sound so soothing, yet breathtaking that it resonated throughout the family farm. A nostalgic feeling welled up over her, and she was eager to watch and listen as the voice continued to echo across the fields and into the canopy of the resting trees. It came from none other than her stepfather, Gerald B. Fincher, who was singing a hymn that had been past down through generations of the Nature Giants since ancient times. It took on a strong baritone for much of the first half, with it bridging to a surprising yet seamless higher note which Jac describes as fluffy and ‘light as air.’ The song looped continuously as soon as the alto reached its climax, a true endless tune that only ceases when the vocalist deemed it so. The human understood not a single word of it but that didn’t deter her from becoming completely enamored by it’s sound. The best part of being a spectator of her pop’s “concert of the fields” so to speak is observing the reactions from the farm animals and the surrounding nature. The Giant's primary stock and trade are the fleece of giant vegetable sheep, and every morning he rounds up a herd of nearly a hundred of them simply by the calls of his song. The very melody seems to hypnotically tame the entire masses as they never fail to follow his every move; no need for a shepherd dog if he can do everything himself. What intrigued Jac the most was that he never seemed to tire or take breaks to catch his breath, working till the morning’s end largely without ceasing his tune. That to her was an amazing accomplishment all by itself. Unfortunately for the young woman, her stepfather stopped at its midst as soon as he spotted her in the clearing. He had successfully herded the sheep into their grazing pasture, so there was no need for him to continue at this point regardless. Jac however, was kicking herself internally for not making a better effort to hide. “Morning Jac! You’re up early.” “Mornin’ pops…” Jac said plainly. “You… don’t have to stop, you know… because of me…” “What do you mean?” “Your song! I love listening to it.” “Oh!” Traces of a blush could be seen on her stepdad's cheeks, but he kept focus on his work as he continued to speak. “Well, my song isn’t like other giant’s, you see… My voice is carried through the wind, so it vibrates across the fields far and wide! If I see you’re close by, I couldn’t possibly resume knowing that it could potentially hurt your ears.” “I know dad.” Jac tried her best not to groan, but traces of this could be heard from her voice. “I could get out of your way then..” “Now, now…” Gerald walked over to the human and bent down with the equivalent of a couple of yards away from her. Compared to the common giants his frame was enormous at a whopping ninety five feet, it still amazes her just how big he is in comparison to what she was used to. “If you want to leave, then I’m not going to stop you. But it’s been a long time since I’ve seen you 'round the farm. I could use your company, even if only for a short time. It would give me a much needed break to clear my throat after all.” Jac considered his words. After awhile she would nod, and while she was dissatisfied by not hearing the song again for the duration of their union, she was certain that she would be given the opportunity when the time came for the sheep to return to their pens. So without further delay, Jac hopped on to the hand that was presented to her, which then carried her steadily onto the giant’s right shoulder. For the next hour or so, the two would talk about this and that while Gerald kept a watchful eye on the herd. Jac couldn’t help but bring up the hymn after the topical subjects had run dry, and while her stepdad was hesitant to bring up the details surrounding it at first, he figured that it likely wouldn’t matter if he told her at least some of what he knew. He trusted his own daughter to keep it just between the two of them. “I mentioned to you before that my father taught me when I was a growing boy,” he explained, “The song has deep meaning to us, and is one of many that hold the primary source of magic for our own kind. When we utter it, the breeze will carry it adrift, making sick and dying flowers healthy again. When we sing it out loud, it’s like a gust that travels across distant lands. Or so I’ve been told. This has the power to tame beasts as you have seen, as well as hold other positive benefits.” “That’s amazing! I guess that the second one worked on me too?” “I wish it would calm humans down the way it does with you.” Gerald laughed. “But I’m glad you think it’s worth listening to.” “Of course! You’re the best singer I know!” “Oh please! You flatter me! You should have heard my grandmother, she was one of the best vocalists of our town! Folks from all around would gather to hear her voice.” The elder then had a darker expression over him, his eyes contemplating deeper thoughts that made him silent for a minute. Jac’s smile slowly fell upon realizing this, and she asked if there was anything the matter. The Nature Giant declined to elaborate at first, but he decided to ease her into the details bit by bit. “Jac, it’s important that you don’t speak a word to this to anyone.” “Uh… sure thing. I promise.” After a long sigh, her stepfather spoke. “The lyrics to our songs are from a language from this part of the world that is widely believed to have gone extinct.” As Gerald told his story, he took momentary pauses to wipe the hint of tears in his eyes. “Not even I know the meaning behind them. I wish I had asked my grandparents or my elders about it, but they have all left this world now…” Jac’s eyes began to water as well. This is the first she’s heard of this and it contradicted some of her previous thoughts. “I thought Nature giants can live for a millennia or more. That’s what I, heard..” “That was the case for a time..” Her father spoke with his voice hung low. “But… not sure if it’s true or not… but I have a theory that since we are like the plants and trees, I suspect that it may be to do with the ever increasing pollution in our planet. While we pretend that nothing’s wrong when we speak to everyone else, I suspect that there aren’t very many of us left…” “That’s terrible!” Jac exclaimed. “Why do you want to keep that a secret? Don’t you think that there’s folks that could help you in some way?” “I don’t want to be held captive in a greenhouse!” Jac was shaken by the words that came out of his mouth, as well as the pained anger that fueled the volume of that last statement. To his fright, Gerald put a hand to the tiny woman’s back and began to stroke her ever so gently. “I’m sorry..” “It’s okay dad. I’m just… I don’t know what to say…” “I was just as shocked as you were when I first heard about it. Simply put, it’s a domed city where they house small populations of Nature Giants in at least one other country. To try to 'preserve their lifespan’ under a controlled environment, or so they claim. They provide good food, good housing, clean air, but… I hate to think that I’d be forced to stay stuck in one place for the rest of my life. To me that sounds no better than a prison.” He shook his head. “If keeping my freedom to go wherever I please means that I will whither away sooner than so be it. I don’t want to be cooped up like that, I’m sorry.” After that there was silence, as the two tried to comfort each other the best they could. Afterwards what little conversation they had was small and light, as in what ice cream flavors they will be having after the workload had mostly been accomplished. While the topic was never brought up again, the gravity of the revelation weighed down on Jac for the rest of the day. Soon it came time for the older Giant to round up his herd. Jac was placed far enough away from the fields and the barnyard as Gerald thought was acceptable, which got a complaint from the smaller woman, though she chose not to dwell on it. Soon enough, the song was heard once more from a distance, which Jac couldn’t help but get a closer look but only slightly. As she watched her stepfather exercise his vocal chords and move the massive crowd of rams and ewes into their pens, a new sense of realization clouded Jac’s mind. The day her father passes away, the song will likely die with him. With a wipe to her eyes, Jac sought to appreciate the moment to the fullest and never failed to look away until the last sheep was brought in and the tune was done for the day. And she would continue to enjoy listening to the concert of the fields for many more years thereafter.